Daley takes another shot at gun control

January 06, 2005|By From news services.

Despite repeated defeats in Springfield in the past, Mayor Daley on Wednesday unveiled his annual package of gun control proposals, adding two measures stemming from what he called recent Illinois Supreme Court guidance.

One of the new bills would make it a crime to sell guns without taking reasonable precautions that the weapons would not be used to break the law.

"This would give the courts the power to fine and close gun dealers who help customers avoid background checks, who sell them large numbers of handguns without filing the required reports or who sell handguns to residents of cities like Chicago, where they are illegal," Daley said at a news conference at Chicago Police Headquarters.

Under the second measure, victims of violence and their families could sue if a gun dealer knew, or should have known, that the sale of the firearm was illegal or that the purchaser intended to use it illegally.

Though the Supreme Court rejected the city's "public nuisance" argument when it dismissed Daley's $433 million damage suit in November against 40 gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers, the majority of justices expressed hope that lawmakers would turn their attention to gun violence.

"When the Illinois Supreme Court rejected our lawsuit against the gun industry, many people expected me to fold my tent and give up the fight to protect the people of Chicago from gun violence," Daley said. "Well, they were completely wrong. ... We'll never give up or give in to extremists who don't understand that the vast majority of people in Chicago, the suburbs and Downstate favor reasonable, moderate gun legislation."

Todd Vandermyde, Illinois legislative liaison for the National Rifle Association, said the proposals are ill-conceived.

"You are talking about making gun dealers and other people clairvoyant," he said. "There is no clear standard."

Daley, surrounded at the news conference by state legislators from Chicago who planned to be sponsors, said he also will push for measures that he has sought in past years. They include a licensing requirement for gun dealers; closure of the loophole that allows people to buy at gun shows without a background check; a limit on handgun purchases to one a month per person; and a ban on assault weapons.